A Whisper of Hope
by Silver Evenstar
Summary: A recently orphaned Tohru finds herself inside the forbidden castle that has laid dormant on the cliffs overlooking her village, only it's not as dormant as everyone thinks. But what starts out as an awkward imprisonment, turns into a journey no one was looking for... especially for the monster living in the outcast wing.
1. Prologue - The Banquet

The First Banquet of Legend was not really the first at all.

There had been many before it. Every year on the New year to be exact. Nobles flooded in from the village to celebrate with the royal family, the prosperity of their village was unrivaled. It had been so for as long as anyone could remember, and no one dared question the rule of the king and queen. Their family had ruled as long as they could remember as well, and so long as the village prospered happily there was no need to question.

The "First" banquet actually referred to the first night the curse fell upon the kingdom. The curse itself might have been entirely avoided, if the royal family had but accepted to help a lowly peasant man. He arrived at the castle in the middle of the banquet, while the royals and nobles laughed and rejoiced at another year of bountiful harvest and health. The royal family itself was extensive. Cousins to the king and queen all lived under the roof of the castle, but not one of them expected what transpired that night.

A knock just before midnight foretold the presence of someone uninvited to the castle, but the maids answered the door none the less. The family gathered in a slightly drunken curiousness to see just who dared interrupt their feast. An old gentleman stood at the door, bedraggled and dirty, looking more weary than someone who had traveled a thousand leagues. In his arms was cat, a simple gray color seemingly identical to the old man in wear, losing hair and looking rather unpleasant.

_"I need a place to rest for the night-my friends and I."_ The old man hobbled to one side, revealing behind him the twelve animals that would become the Zodiac. The royal family scoffed at the request. The old man could not be serious-each of these animals were worn to the bone.

_"Please… if nothing take my oldest and dearest friend. He no longer has the body to travel."_ The old man pleaded as he held out the limp cat in his arms, and the family shied away from the pathetic creature.

_"I would take the rat over this mangy animal any day."_

Despite it's weakened state, the cat began to hiss and growl at the king. His words were painful, the rejection even more so. The old man's eyes narrowed sharply, and in a flash of light he was replaced. A stunningly handsome young man in elaborate robes stood before them, however his companions were not as lucky. The cat in his arms fell limp once again and the man glared sharply at the family that would reject them in such a time of need.

_"For treating my friends as such, I shall treat you as you have treated them. Several your family members will no longer know the touch of a loved one, for if they embrace they shall take the form of one of the animals behind me. You, the king, shall know the vengeance of the cat-and your queen will bear your curse within her. For as long as your family exists, the curse will reign-until the day you can learn to accept those despite their looks."_

And so the curse took hold. The first Sohma family locked away their king as he transformed into the hidious monster of the cat spirit-ever vengeful of the family's rejection. The queen threw out untouched family members, forbidding them to return to the castle, leaving only the cursed to remain behind the walls. Children born of the Zodiac were brought to the castle as the years past-a reminder of the family's shame-but none ever left.

In time the story was forgotten, twisted… only the castle and lingering family name remains as evidence of the Sohma family royalty.

Lost and forgotten like the family cursed.


	2. Chapter 1 - Life As She Knows It

Disclaimer: I own nothing of course! Everything belongs to their respectful owners, I just like to toy with the characters a bit!

_"__What do we do with her?"_ One man asked.

_"__She's an orphan… she's bad luck!"_ Said another.

_"__Her mother was trouble… just look what she dragged the father into!"_

_"__No one deserves that kind of fate…"_

The words echoed through her mind like poison. Of course she knew the rumors of her mother's past—how she tricked her father into 'loving' her. Her parents never tried to hide it, just simply move past it. Her father simply shrugged off the word of others, held them all the more dear and close. She saw the love between her parents—that was all that had mattered to her at the time. They had a quiet but happy life… she never expected that to change.

Change however happened none the less, and Tohru couldn't help but wallow in the shock and sorrow at the loss of not one, but both her parents. People whispered and pointed at her—everything from the rumors of her parents' deaths, to what was _exactly_ going to happen to her. There was nowhere for her to go—Uo and Hana's families did not have the room for her… as it was she considered herself lucky that their parents withstood her at all.

The village itself did not have an orphanage, usually the families pitched in together to raise children left parentless, but Tohru was not really a child. She was only weeks away from her eighteenth birthday… the problem came from the fact her family was nearly outcast in the village. Her mother had been quite the troublemaker when she was younger, and the fact her father married her dragged him down into the mud right beside her. No one actually trusted Tohru—image was worth more than possible trouble.

It didn't help that Tohru had little to give back to the village. Her father had been the one that sustained their lifestyle—a combination of light medicine work and teaching of herbs and their effect on the body. It was probably the only good thing people ever said about their family. People loved her father—perhaps it was why her mother had no issue staying at home. Raising her rather than try and find a job working one of the many fields. Tohru learned how to cook and clean a home—but she had nothing to offer outside of the home.

So Tohru sat outside the door, dazed as the elders tried to decide just what to do with her. Her two best friends had sat with her for hours before that, but Tohru knew they couldn't spend the whole day waiting with her as they decided her fate. As it was she was enjoying the solitary moment. Normally she was very aware of others around her, their feelings and emotions, but she couldn't feel _anything_ for anyone since the death of her parents. Not for the worry of her friends—even the sorrow and pain she felt over the loss of her parents had faded into one thing.

Numbness.

Her father's attempt to keep the winter illness at bay failed. Fever and pneumonia spread through the village like wildfire, and even living on the edge of the village didn't keep her parents from falling prey. Tohru was aware her parents were not the only ones to have died—there had been many before, and she had felt empathy for their pain. Now even that was gone. There was nothing to do but await judgement.

* * *

><p><em>"<em>_There is always someone we could marry her off to."_

_"__Are we sure we want someone like her giving this village children?"_

_"__With so many deaths…"_

Tohru jumped in her seat as the carriage jolted to one side as a wheel caught a rock. She hadn't realized she had fallen asleep—time itself hadn't seemed very steady to her since her parents had passed away. Days were night; breakfast was dinner… emotions flit in and out of her mind like fireflies. Brief emotions like fear and dread at the words that haunted her dreams from the elders; they actually talked about marrying her off to one the men in the village? Children and adults were lost due to the illness yes, but she never imagined someone trying to set her up in a loveless marriage. It had been the first real emotions she had felt since her parents died—and even then they had faded back into numbness when she realized she wouldn't have had a choice anyway. The elders would make a decision and it _would_ be final… or she would be exiled completely from the village.

But the choice decided for her wasn't something she had expected at all. A letter had arrived to the elders the day before—a letter from her grandfather on her father's side. Tohru had no idea someone had sent him word of his son's death, but apparently he was more than willing to take her in until she had enough training to be ample support to the society. The elders had little choice, if someone was willing to take her in through blood—they didn't have much say. The only problem was that her grandfather lived in a neighboring village that was several days ride from their own; a ride rarely taken because of the route.

Tohru glanced out the small dusty window of the carriage. It couldn't have been any later than mid day, but the forest branches had already begun to blot out the sunlight. The 'Dark' Forest was well named; even during the winter light was hard to come by. The forest looked just as cursed as the forbidden castle she knew was looming in the far distance. It didn't help any matters either, that the forest was crawling with wolves. They were hard enough to keep out of the village, but between villages everyone knew who had the advantage. They always seemed to be hungry—and a lone carriage was a very easy target. She couldn't honestly blame the poor driver for his bad mood that morning. Carrying a village outcast into the dark forest didn't bode well for him.

The carriage landed another bump and Tohru flailed in an ungracious heap to the carriage floor as the horse outside reared to a sharp stop. The driver's voice was muffled, but she could make out the scarce curses he threw out. That wasn't good…

"Uhm… ex-excuse me?" Tohru murmured as she opened the door and leaned out just enough to spot the driver trying to get his horse under control. It bucked against its restraints wildly, the old wood of the carriage creaking dangerously. The driver ignored her entirely in favor of the horse, yanking on the reins and trying to calm the beast with gentle words. It only seemed to make things worse in her opinion. The horse made a sound that resembled a scream, giving a powerful buck that the wood of the carriage could no longer take. It snapped with sharp crack and the horse was free, nearly dragging the driver to the ground had he not let go of the reins. The horse took off deeper into the forest and the driver cursed again, finally turning to face her with a dark glare on his face.

"Get back into the blasted carriage and wait for me to return. I've got to find that bloody horse before the wolves do." She didn't even have time to protest, before the driver was running down the path after the horse. Biting her bottom lip slightly, Tohru reluctantly crawled back into the carriage, closing the door firmly and seating herself back on the bench. Without the sounds of the carriage and horse, the woods sounded so—quiet save for the wind. Her skin broke out into goose bumps despite the heat in the carriage.

"Maybe I should head back to the village… it's not that far…" The words were mumbled, more to break the silence than anything else, though the idea was kind of appealing seeing as they hadn't been traveling very long. _If I start now, I could make it back before sunset. But then the driver…_ She couldn't just leave him all alone out in the woods. As it was he was going out of his way to help her get to another village. If she wasn't in the carriage when he returned, who knew what he might think.

Tohru sighed and tried to keep herself occupied. Thoughts of her lost family—the friends she was leaving behind. Uo and Hana had been quite upset to hear that she was being shipped off. They had all been friends for as long as any of them could remember. Tohru had thought it best to not tell them her possible second option—marriage. Neither of them would have liked the idea of her being handed off to someone else in the village without a real say. Honestly she didn't want to cause more trouble than she was worth. She had tried her best to tell her friends that she _wanted_ to go, but she had the feeling they didn't see it that way regardless.

A sound of a snapping twig outside the carriage drew Tohru out of her daze. _The driver!_ Leaning up to the window Tohru tried her best to spot the driver on the road; however she saw nothing but dry leaves and dust kicked up by a gust of wind. She was nearly ready to lean back into her seat when a shadow among the trees shot from one to another… low to the ground in almost a slinking fashion. _Oh no…_

Tohru had no idea what it was, but the fear crawling up her spine told her it wasn't good. Would the wolves in the forest really attack a carriage… were they strong enough to? Another flash of shadow caused Tohru to dart away from the window, opting to sit on the floor of the carriage instead. The wolves would smell her for sure, and she had a feeling that the windows of the carriage would not be enough to stop them. As it was she could probably push any of them out herself, given the look of the wood around them. _Just how old is this carriage anyway?_

Huddled on the floor, Tohru had no idea how much time passed. Was it minutes or hours? Silence still enveloped the forest, and Tohru dared to think that perhaps the wolves had moved on. She shifted herself slowly, ready to return to her original seat when a piercing howl echoed close—right outside the right door. The instant ice in her veins made her heart skip several beats, before the carriage rocked slightly from side to side as the wolf outside the door scratched lightly, almost in a curious fashion as if to see how strong the door was.

_What do I do…?_ Tohru's mind was sent into immediate panic. She had no way to fight off the wolf—possibly wolves. They were pack animals after all. She back peddled away from the door as the scratching became stronger until her back hit the opposite side of the carriage. It was instinctual that her right hand lifted above her head to find the doorknob to the door. It had slipped the forefront of her mind that there were two doors to the carriage. She had no idea if risking the outside was even a smart idea. The wolves _lived_ in the forest, she knew nothing about it. How could she expect to outrun them?

Her shuffling however seemed to have caught the attention of the wolf. A sharp growl resounded on the other side of the door, and Tohru sucked in a breath. _What choice do I have? Sit in the carriage and just wait for it to find a way in?_ Letting go of the door Tohru slowly shifting herself up to her knees. Glancing over her shoulder she eyed the opposite door cautiously. The wolf was pawing furiously at the wood, but she doubted it would take much for the door to give. It was already creaking at the pressure. Turning the door knob, she prayed the wolf didn't hear the squeak in protest it made before she slowly pushed the door open.

Wincing she stared at the forest before her. There didn't seem to be any signs of the rest of the pack, but she hesitated none the less. _If I do this—I could get lost. No one would look for me…_ It would be too risky even for a beloved member of the village. They would chalk her up to dead if she didn't make it out alive. Her hesitation came to a quick end however as the wood splintered on the other end of the carriage. Tohru grabbed the sides of the carriage and fairly vaulted herself from it, barely catching her balance before she lifted the long hem of her dress to make a mad dash into the woods.

Branches of bushes reached out and snagged at her, whipping at her face and tearing her dress. The further she ran the darker the shadows seemed to get. The forest was closing in around her, the once slightly green trees turned black, dead leaves littering the ground around her—it made it impossible to make a silent retreat. Tohru knew they were on her, but she couldn't bring herself to glance back even for a moment. She could hear her own heartbeat, the harsh sound of her breathing—anything to keep from looking back.

Out of the darkness, barely visible due to the low light, a wolf shot out in front of her. Tohru couldn't halt her momentum. She stumbled over her own two feet, and she threw her hands out to catch herself. Only they didn't hit the ground as she expected. The low light had prevented her from seeing the sharp drop off before her; a steep hill that only seemed to descend further into darkness. Her hands barely clawed at the ground before her ribs made contact second. The breath was effectively knocked from her lungs.

Gravity did the rest, pulling her tumbling down the sharp incline. Tohru was barely aware of much, save for the fact she _needed_ air. But even that thought was harshly cut off as she rolled sharply into an embankment, the back of her head coming into contact with something hard—a stone? Tohru couldn't tell if her vision blacked out, or if the light of the forest had just become that dark. Her body began to protest the jostling down the hillside, her head screamed in blinding pain—but her lungs still burned for air.

A single thought echoed through her mind. _Is this it?_ Since her parent's death, she had wondered many ways about her future—what would become of her. Dying in the dark forest to a pack of wolves had not been one of the choices. Slowly the sounds of the forest—or rather the wolves—began to filter in around her. Her vision swam before her as she opened her eyes, blurry and nearly impossible to make anything but the shifting shapes before out. They circled her, and Tohru silently prayed her death to be quick…

The wolves halted however at the snap of a tree branch close by. The sound of another growl—not a wolf—emerged from a creature within the trees. _Oh gods… a bear?_ She couldn't think of anything _big_ enough to halt the wolves from a kill. A figure slid out from the trees, something that was clearly not a bear. It was much taller than the wolves, but it was thin. Even in the low light and blurry vision she could see it did not have the stature of a bear. But it disturbed the wolves greatly. They growled as the creature snapped its jaws at them, leaning back to stand on two legs to an impressive height—but most certainly not a bear.

Pain splintered through her sides as she finally sucked in a breath. It washed over her senses, and she wanted nothing more than for it to stop. The physical and mental pain…there was no getting out of this… something one way or another was going to kill her. She couldn't fight against her; all she wanted to do was sleep. Closing her eyes, Tohru felt herself slipping away. She let go with a single thought.

_I'm going home._


	3. Chapter 2 - Aftermath

_"You don't honestly think this is a good idea do you?"_

_"Well I didn't actually think it through… ahah."_

_"…Not all that surprising…"_

The voices echoed through her mind almost as if they were muffled, yet somehow seemed too clear to be far away. It took Tohru a moment to realize the reason—her head was _pounding_. In all honesty, everything actually seemed to hurt even as she lay still. She was afraid to move, or maybe more afraid that if she tried she would find out that she couldn't. She had never experienced this kind of pain before—one that just seemed to radiate all over her. Cautiously she thought it might be best to start slow and she attempted to twitch her fingers underneath the weight of the blanket lying across her. Tohru pulled a deep breath… or tried to.

"…Ow." Pain ached through her ribs, her fingers tightening into fists instead of twitching like she had planned. At least she could still do that much and while her voice sounded strained and cracked, it _did_ still work too. The voices close to her stopped and she could vaguely hear the sound of shuffling coming closer to her. _Pointless to let them think I'm still sleeping now._ Tohru slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was still fuzzy, but the more she blinked up at them they slowly came into focus. And one thought came instantly to mind. They weren't from the village… she didn't recognize either of them.

"Ah!" Despite her protesting muscles, she sat straight up. It was a mistake as the blood seemed to rush to her head. The pounding feeling intensified, causing her to grasp her head and lean over her legs with a weak groan.

"That isn't a smart thing to do in your condition right now." Tohru glanced to her right as a deep voice rumbled next to her. The man was older than her no doubt, but maybe by only ten or so years. One eye was covered by black hair; his other was a slate blue. Kind of unusual, but even kneeling next to her he seemed to tower over her. Perhaps it was his presence, something that screamed deserving of respect. Not necessarily dangerous and rather handsome actually..

"I-I'm sorry. I just… I woke in a start. And I don't recognize you… or him." Tohru's eyes wandered to the man bending over the black haired man. They almost looked alike—maybe they were brothers? He seemed to be the same age as the man kneeling next to her, but his hair was more of a dark blue color; his eyes were exceptionally friendly.

"Either of you actually." Tohru muttered, as her eyes finally wandered the room she was in. The walls were stone, and very plain. A few lit torches lit the room up and a window on the far end of the room was open, but other than her and the two men the room was virtually empty.

"You're in the castle pretty flower. How's your head? Haa-san said it didn't look too pleasant." The blue haired man seemed to take notice of her casual glance over of the room. Tohru couldn't help the slight frown that crossed her face in confusion. The village didn't have a castle—he couldn't be serious?!

"Th-The castle on the cliffs?!" Her voice came out in a squeak of disbelief. The man just smiled, waving his hand in front of him as if it was nothing of consequence while the other remained quiet. He seemed to be observing her—or rather the multitude of white bandage dressing lining her arms and her head.

"But it's supposed to be _abanadoned_." No one from the village ever went up to the castle. In fact it _was_ actually forbidden to do so. Many believed it would be too dangerous from lack of upkeep, but even with how plain the room looked it was in excellent condition. The walls were certainly not ready to tumble in down around her. A thought struck her however as she thought of the village—she had been leaving the village. She had ended up in the forest being chased by wolves and…

"How did I get here? I was… I was in the forest." It felt like her brain was on fire. Her vision swirled and the ache in her spine was turning into a dull pain. Wincing she dropped her head back into her hands, closing her eyes as nausea pressed up into her throat.

"Lay back and rest. You can ask questions later. Right now you need to relax. You'll be safe here." As much as she wanted to protest, she did as the elder man asked. He rested his hands on her shoulders gently to help her lay back and Tohru could feel her consciousness slipping through her fingers.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>"Yuki Yuki! Did you see the girl that Hatori is looking after?!" Yuki glanced upwards to the young blonde boy bounding towards him. Leave it to the rabbit to be the first one to find out. Sighing lightly, he closed the book he was reading to give his attention to Momiji.<p>

"No I didn't. I guess Kagura and Rin brought her inside after…" Yuki wrinkled his nose in disgust before shaking his head. "Hatori and Shigure are looking after her now. I wouldn't bother trying to meet her. You know the rules about strangers Momiji." Yuki couldn't remember the last time he had seen an outsider. Momiji deflated slightly, pouting as he crossed his arms.

"Well that's not fair. Why do they get to see her and not us?" Yuki smiled slightly, shaking his head as he stood up, ruffling the boy's head affectionately.

"Because Hatori is a doctor… and Shigure doesn't do well with no. Even from Hatori. I'm surprised my brother isn't in there too."

"I don't know why I helped Kagura bring her inside anyways. Girl looked close to death if you ask me. What's the point in patching her up? She's not _allowed_ to be here." The two boys glanced at the doorway to the long black haired girl with a scowl set upon her lips. Yuki supposed she had a point. Chances were this wasn't going to go well over with Akito once she found out, but Hatori was compassionate. It was what made him such a good healer.

"I guess we'll cross that bridge when it comes down to it. For now we should all just keep quiet about this. Maybe if we're lucky she's not so bad off and we can get her out of the castle before Akito even knows about her." Yuki nudged Momiji in the back gently, giving him a serious glance before Rin snorted from the doorway.

"Wishful thinking, Hatori will have to wipe her memory, but that leaves the girl in the middle of the forest. We can't leave the castle, and just _how_ do you think she'll get back to the village below hm?" Yuki frowned at her words. There wasn't a straight answer for it, and Momiji himself even looked a little worried.

"I have no idea."

* * *

><p>"T-Three days?" Tohru stuttered in awe. She had been unconscious for three days. The black haired man hummed in agreement as he gently prodded at the back of her head. She couldn't help but wince at how sensitive the stitches in the back of her head were.<p>

"It's not surprising. You sustained a pretty severe injury to the head. You're lucky enough that stitches were all you needed." The man reached over, grabbing the clean bandages to begin to re-wrap her head. "Are you hungry?"

"Who… are you? I don't mean to be rude or anything I just—" The man grinned slightly at her obvious nerves, but he seemed hesitant at first. As if he didn't know whether or not to answer her.

"My name is Hatori. I am the family doctor here in the castle." Tohru jumped slightly. The _family_ doctor? Did that mean there was more than just him and the blue haired man she had seen when she first regained consciousness? She wanted to ask, the curiousness felt like it was bubbling up inside of her. The first time since her parents deaths. But he seemed so wary to speak his _name_, which she highly doubted that he'd answer even if she asked.

"Are you hungry?" Hatori asked again, and Tohru jolted out of her thoughts to nod enthusiastically.

"Oh yes! I'm so-sorry!" Tohru could feel her cheeks heat up at her rudeness. Hatori let out a chuckle, standing to his full height and opened his hand towards her in an offer to help her up. Despite her face still blazing hot red, Tohru slid her hand into his and let him assist her up. She wobbled for a moment, trying to find her balance. It was harder than it initially seemed. Her head spun making the back of her head ache further, but she stood her ground with Hatori's help. She smiled weakly before nodding at him gently.

"Lead the way."

* * *

><p>"Yuki I'm hungry!" Momiji whined, trying his best to throw him a pout. Yuki ignored the comment, glaring balefully at the ingredients lying on the counter. It was his turn to cook—or attempt to. The others lined the walls of the kitchen—his brother and Shigure included. Apparently it was something of a spectacle to watch him cook. Or blunder it so.<p>

"Why do we ever let his turn come up anyway? He'll kill us all with whatever he makes." Rin muttered, though she let it drop as Hatsuharu gave her a gentle nudge in the ribs. It was more than enough for her to drop the subject, but she scowled at Yuki none the less.

"It's only fair. The rest of us have to cook as well." Kagura huffed, but shot Yuki a small smile. He was tempted to smile back, however his brother interrupted—as usual.

"Fear not Yuki! You're dearest and most loved brother shall save the day! You need not suffer anymore!"

"You're my _only _brother…"

"Let us declare our love for each other and complete the task at hand! I cannot wait—"

"You can't be serious!"

"Are we interrupting? I take it dinner is not ready then." The Sohma's seemed to twist as one towards Hatori—and immediately lock eyes on the girl clinging to his arm almost like a bride. One by one their jaws dropped and Tohru could feel her face heat again. She didn't look that bad did she? The blue haired man she had first seen with Hatori recovered first, flitting to her side with a friendly grin.

"Well well it seems the delicate flower is awake and joining us for dinner? Won't you sit next to me and—"

"You cannot be _serious_ Hatori! What is she doing here!?" Rin hissed, pointing at her as if she was some kind of diseased creature. A boy shorter than her with blonde hair—and younger looking by the looks of it—skipped to her side, staring at her in the complete opposite. As if she was some gift bestowed upon him and he had no idea what to make of her.

"Wow…." He murmured, but smiled up at her shyly. Tohru couldn't help the shy smile that crossed her face in return.

"U-um…" The single word was stuttered out. She had no idea what to say. When Hatori suggested food she didn't think she'd… how many family members did Hatori _have_ living in the castle? She counted nine others lining the walls—ten if she included Hatori himself.

"This is…I'm sorry I didn't even ask your name." Hatori gestured to her with his free and and Tohru shot forward in a long bow, her left hand still clinging to his arm to prevent her from losing her balance entirely.

"I'm Honda. Honda Tohru!" Silence followed her introduction and she vaguely wondered if perhaps she had insulted them slightly? Maybe there was another way to do it here in the castle or…?

"She'll be our guest until her wounds have healed enough to travel back to the village." Hatori's statement sounded so—final. The others stood there looking flabbergasted, before the girl with long black hair huffed.

"What about—"

"We'll talk about that later. For now Tohru-kun needs to eat to keep up her strength and heal. Yuki have you started dinner yet?" Hatori cut the girl off, with a stern glance. The others—even the blonde haired boy who was _still_ staring at her—seemed to come down with a solemn look before the boy she assumed to be Yuki spoke.

"No I haven't started dinner yet. I can't… decide." The boy with grey hair and almost violet eyes answered. He actually looked close to her age, and seemed a little uncomfortable about being put on the spot.

"Come on now Haa-san. We both know Yuki is only going to burn dinner. One of us should just pipe up and take over now, or none of us are going to eat." The blue haired man waved off Yuki with a laugh, causing Yuki's face to turn red—though Tohru wasn't sure if it was anger or embarrassment… though she was leaning more towards anger.

"I can do it."

Silence fell across the kitchen once again and Tohru realized the words had actually come from _her._ She blinked several times as Hatori's family stared at her.

"I mean you are taking care of me after all! It's the least I can do! I'm a decent cook, or so my mother told me. I wouldn't say it's anything special or anything—"

"Done! Tohru-kun shall cook for us tonight! I'm sure it will be a wonderful meal… anything is better than Yuki's cooking."

"Shigure she has a head injury I don't think she should be trying to _cook_ for us!" The blonde haired boy declared, and Tohru held up her hands in protest. She was fine… mostly. She only got dizzy if she moved too quickly and her balance seemed to have returned—mostly.

"Oh no I don't mind, really!"

"I'll stay with her." Tohru blinked, tilting her head over her shoulder to the boy named Yuki. He smiled down gently at her, holding out his hand and she couldn't help but stare at it a moment.

"I don't…"

"It's my turn to cook, but if you're going to do it I'm sure I can help in some other way. It wouldn't do for you to pass out while cooking would it?" He was staring at her with such gentle eyes that she couldn't help but shake her head a little. He did have a point. Hesitantly she released Hatori's arm in favor of Yuki's hand. His grip was firm, but even with her body aching all over he didn't come close to hurting her.

"Alright everyone out, they don't need any more distraction than necessary." Hatori ordered and the other members of his family slowly filed out—each seemingly watching her in their own way. As if they had no idea what to make of her or her presence. Though given the rumors of her village, it seemed as if they probably didn't many visitors.

"If she needs anything come get me at once Yuki." Hatori gave the boy a nod before abandoning the kitchen as well. Tohru found herself staring at the door, alone in a room with a rather handsome boy if she let herself admit to it. Glancing up at the boy, he was still smiling at her. Something about him set her at ease.

"So… what do we have to work with?"


End file.
